What Is a Motivated Seller? Signs to Look For and Questions to Ask

A motivated seller is someone who needs or wants to sell their home soon. Waiting costs them money or time, so they’re usually more willing to negotiate on the price or help with your costs.

You’ll sometimes see the words “motivated seller” right in a listing. More often, you have to read the signs yourself, and right now is a good time to learn them. In many parts of the country there are more homes for sale than buyers. Redfin estimated there were about 58% more sellers than buyers in August, and about one in five sellers has been cutting their asking price.

How much room you’ll have still depends on your local market. One sign on its own doesn’t prove much, but two or three together usually mean something.

What does “motivated seller” mean in real estate?

It means the seller has a reason to want the sale done soon. When a listing says “motivated seller,” “bring all offers,” or “priced to sell,” the seller’s agent is usually signaling that the seller is open to offers, including ones below the asking price.

Common reasons a seller gets motivated:

• They’ve already bought their next home and are paying for two places at once.
• They’re moving for a new job and have a start date.
• They inherited the home and don’t plan to keep it.
• They’re going through a big life change, like a divorce.
• The home has been for sale for a while and they’re tired of waiting.

Signs to look for

It’s been for sale longer than similar homes nearby. Most listing sites show how many days a home has been for sale. There’s no magic number, though. What matters is how long homes usually take to sell in that area, so ask your agent. A home that’s been listed for two months where most sell in three weeks is a good sign.

The price has dropped, especially more than once. A price cut means the seller knows the first price was too high. Homes that drop once often drop again.

The house is empty. If nobody is living there, the seller may already be paying for another place.

It came back on the market. Sometimes a home is taken off the market and listed again, which can reset the count of days it’s been for sale. A listing that looks brand new may have been for sale for months. Your agent can check the full history.

Questions to ask a motivated seller

You usually won’t talk to the seller directly. Your agent asks the seller’s agent. The seller’s agent works for the seller and doesn’t have to answer everything, but what they say, and what they won’t say, can still tell you a lot.

1. Why are they selling? This tells you how much pressure they’re under. A job move or paying for two homes usually means more flexibility than “we’re just seeing what we can get.”
2. When do they need to move out? If they have a deadline, offering a move-out date that works for them can matter almost as much as money.
3. How long has it been for sale, and has the price changed? Ask for the full history, including any time it was taken off the market.
4. Have there been other offers? If an earlier deal fell through, ask why. It might have been the buyer’s financing, or it might have been something the home inspection found.
5. Would they help with closing costs or a lower interest rate? Closing costs are the fees you pay when the purchase is finalized. Many sellers would rather give you money toward those, or toward a lower mortgage rate, than lower the price. We explain how that works in our post on getting a lower mortgage rate.
6. Can they share what they pay for home insurance and the home’s CLUE report? A CLUE report is a record of past insurance claims on the house. Here’s why it’s worth asking for.

How to make an offer to a motivated seller

Even with a motivated seller, a very low offer can end the conversation before it starts, especially if they’ve already cut the price. You’ll usually get further with an offer based on what similar homes nearby have sold for recently. Your agent can pull those numbers for you.

Then think about what the seller cares about besides price. A flexible move-out date, a quick closing, or asking for help with costs instead of a bigger price cut can all make your offer easier to say yes to.

A motivated seller doesn’t always mean a good deal

Sometimes a home sits on the market for a reason. Buyers may have noticed a problem, like water damage, a busy road, or an awkward layout. Before you get excited about a discount, ask your agent what other buyers have said about the home, and don’t skip the inspection.

Keep track of the homes you’re watching

These signs show up over time. A price cut lands a few weeks after you toured. A seller who seemed firm in August isn’t in October. If you only look at each home once, it’s easy to miss.

For each home you’re still considering, jot down the asking price, when it was listed, any price changes, and anything the agent mentioned about why they’re selling. Then check back every couple of weeks. You can keep these in the notes for each home in CazaHQ, or follow our guide to keeping track of the houses you tour.